Jury duty scam targets Harris County residents

Updated 12:20 am, Saturday, February 15, 2014

Harris County residents are being warned that they could be the target of a nationwide telephone scam that orders them to pay $2,000 for allegedly missing jury duty.

For the past two weeks, authorities have been receiving reports of the scheme in which people are asked to pay the fictitious fine and deliver it to a location in downtown Houston.

"It's very vicious and very concentrated," said Harris County District Clerk Chris Daniel. "This one seems to be generating the most number of complaints because of their authoritarian approach."

Jury duty service scams, including emails, also have been reported in states including Arizona, Indiana, Florida and Kansas. Authorities believe the calls are related because they're all coming from a similar 1-800 number, Daniel said.

Arizona residents reportedly are told they have two hours to pay the fine before a warrant is put out for their arrest. Other news reports have outlined how Kansas residents receive a series of prompts that include a request for personal bank information, and Indiana residents are offered an opportunity to pay over the phone.

According to Daniel, for Harris County residents, the caller will first identify himself as a major or lieutenant in the Houston police then tell the person to pick up a $2,000 money order and deliver it to a given location, which residents have discovered is not part of the Harris County court complex or District Clerk's Office.

One elderly man was scared enough to come downtown to see whether he needed to report for jury duty or pay the fine. Otherwise no reports of actually being duped by the scam have been received by the District Clerk's Office.

Daniel said those behind the scam are not targeting a specific group.

"The District Clerk's Office is turning over all the information that it has to law enforcement agencies so they can try to get these criminals off the street," he said.

In the case that someone does receive a suspicious jury service request, authorities said, they should report it to the District Clerk's Office jury operations at 713-755-6392, Houston police or the Harris County Sheriff's Office.